Enslaved
by Jaal Ama Darav
Summary: A slice of the horror of a Kett slave labor camp.


**Enslaved **

**A/N- the first of three fics for Five Days of Halloween. **

* * *

Everything ached.

Akksul Taraad groaned, he was awake and aware of the pain in his joints, and his hungry stomach.

The Angara kept his eyes shut and memories flashed across his mind.

The stern but compassionate and caring face of his truefather Ellvi Xadaar who taught him how to use his bioelectricity not just for everyday purposes but for combat to defend himself against the Kett. And the gentle and smiling face of his truemother Ashera Taraad, he always looked forward to the meals she cooked up. _I hope you both are okay. I am still alive, but trapped in this horrible place. _

The faces of his six brothers- Vah, Kej, Afraad, Dosej, Erraad, and Khaarl. And his five sisters- Morre, Yene, Falan, Ninvfaa, and Hashil. They were usually fun to be around, but some could get annoying at times. _I will find my way back to you all. I will not let them have me forever._

The face of his mentor Moshae Sjefa, whose kind, gentle ways guided him in learning about the Remnant. And all the same capable of kicking the Kett's skkutting asses when it came down to it. _When I get out, I will continue being your student. The others will need guidance, and I will discover the secrets of the Remnant and drive the Kett out of our homes. __And put a stop to this horror for good._

The face of his rival Jaal Ama Darav. Jaal tried, he really tried. But at the end, even he said he was a terrible student on the day he left; in his own words he said he felt he was "meant for a different path". The Moshae even said if he hadn't told her he was leaving, she would have kicked him out for his own sake. What likely led to that was the incident days before his departure, Jaal had tried to mess with some Remnant control console, and basically 'poked' the old machines in a way that made them angry. When Akksul was informed by one of the new students of what Jaal was trying to do, he had yelled "That skkutting fool!" And ran off and got there in time to save his foolish rival. And single-handedly killed all the Remnant, including several Nullifier Remnant bots. And the Moshae arrived shortly after, she must have heard from the same student, and with her assistance took down a Remnant Destroyer. Jaal had a good control of his bioelectricity but he was no good with Remnant. _Jaal, whatever you do, don't ever let the Kett take you. Even if you __are__ a fool, a hopeless fool, I would never wish this on you. _

Akksul opened his eyes, sat up, and turned to set his achy legs and feet on the green metal floor. He looked over his arms and hands. There were many scars and indications of too much work, and not enough rest. His clothes were now dirty and tattered. And his blue skin was dirty, they were rarely allowed to shower.

_Has it been three months? Six months? A year?_

He looked around the cell, dimly lit by a single ultraviolet light. Six other Angara were laying on beds attached to the walls.

It took Akksul a moment to realize he could no longer detect the bioelectrical signature of one of the Angara in the room, Tavfres Kjaa. He looked at the male Angara laying on a bunk to the left middle of the cell between two other beds, the Angara's dark blue skin having paled greatly. And saw he was deathly still. Tavfres hadn't been doing well the last three weeks, appeared to be ill, and got weaker with each day. The day before, Tavfres had collapsed, his love Lafrah Vovraad and Akksul himself were ordered to drag him to the cell, no one else was allowed to help.

_Skkutting sadistic bastards. _

Lafrah awoke, and she appeared to feel the lack of the signature as well, a look of worry on her face. She quickly stood up and ran to the prone form of her lover. "Tavfres! Wake up!" He did not stir, still motionless. Her voice wavered and shook with tears forming in her eyes as she shook him. "Please! Tavfres! Wake up!" Her voice was breaking as despair set in. "No!" She laid her head on him, crying into his chest. "No! No! Tavfres! Please! No!" She sobbed in earnest.

The other Angara awoke from sleep, some more slowly than others.

Akksul stood up from his bed, and quickly walked to the pair, Lafrah's green skin tone stood out in contrast to Tavfres's dark blue. He placed a hand on Lafrah's shoulder, words beyond him. _If the Resistance had found us a few days ago, Tavfres would have had a chance, or could have at least died surrounded by friends, family, and his lover. _

The door opened and a Kett stood in the doorway, the bony skkutter had his green shock-stick held in hand. "Imbeciles! Get up and get moving!" He saw the prone form of Tavfres, and looked at Lafrah and Akksul. "Get back!"

Akksul quickly grabbed Lafrah by her shoulders and pulled her back, despite her protests. "You'll get beaten if you don't!" Akksul knew how horrible it was for those who resisted, he still looked for an escape, but it was getting harder to find openings anymore.

The Kett Destined moved to Tavfres's still form. "Get up!" He grabbed the Angara by his shirt, and pulled, sending the Angara to the floor. No movement. He drew his shock stick and shocked Tavfres, shocking him between words. "Imbecile! I! Said! Get! Up!" No movement at all. The Kett looked at Akksul and Lafrah. "You two. Take it, and throw it into the pit."

Lafrah's face was one of horror and grief. "No...no, he can't be dead...he just can't..."

The Kett jammed the shock stick right into Lafrah's stomach, shocking her and causing her to cry out. "Do it, or suffer the consequences!"

Akksul helped to pick the sobbing Angara off the floor, his own voice sounded worn and broken. "We have to do it...I-I'm so sorry." He picked up Tavfres, wrapping one arm around his cowl, reluctantly Lafrah did the same with her lover's other arm.

The Kett grinned. He looked to his fellow Destined out in the hall and back to the two. "Follow him."

Akksul and Lafrah followed the other Destined through green hallways, and eventually out into the freezing air of Voeld.

The Kett stepped aside, allowing them to see the pit. An open mass grave.

Akksul felt sick to his stomach. He had heard from other prisoners that sometimes those too weak or laying comatose where thrown in despite being alive.

The Destined looked at the two. "What are you waiting for? Throw it in!"

Akksul looked at Lafrah, who looked about ready to break. His voice was low and quiet. "We must do it, they might just throw all of us in, heard they do it sometimes." She nodded, tears streaming down her face amid stifled sobs. They dragged the dead Angara to the ledge, and pushed him over the side into the pit.

The Kett looked at the two. "Get going."

Akksul pulled Lafrah along, so she wouldn't be punished for lagging behind. She was crying, tears running down her face in earnest.

* * *

The day did not get better, it only got worse in the mines.

Akksul helped to carry the crates of mined ore, no doubt for the Kett's continued efforts against the Angara and the Resistance.

When he returned from emptying the crate into the container of a waiting transport, he and the group of Angara with him placed the open container on the ground for more ore to be collected and placed into.

One of the Angara carrying some of the ores in a smaller container tripped and fell, dropping the container and sending the rocks spilling across the ground.

One of the Kett growled and walked over to him. "Get up, imbecile! And pick up the ores!"

The Angara whimpered, and shook. "I-I need water."

The Kett looked to another who was near some water bowl containers. "Get this one some water."

Akksul saw a nasty smile on the Kett's face. _He's only going to get __cruelly__ punished. It's one of their ways to break us down more. _

The bowl was placed next to the Angara, who managed to get himself into a position to try to drink from the bowl, only for said Kett who brought it to flip the bowl over with a foot, and kick the Angara hard in his side.

Afterward, the helpless Angara was shocked with the Kett's shock stick repeatedly. "Get up! And get back to work!"

The Angara's voice was shaking, and thick with tears and exhaustion. "N-no...I-I can't stand up...need rest." He only got shocked again; screamed and whimpered in pain.

The act of blatant cruelty enraged two other Angara, who tried to attack the Kett, only to end up on the wrong end of the shock sticks.

Their screams led Akksul to turn away and close his eyes to cut off some of the cruelty he was witnessing.

And the Kett in charge of the others in the area spoke. "Take those three to solitary confinement. As for the two troublemakers, break their will."

* * *

Akksul walked to his cell, along with the other Angara who were there at the start of the day.

He glanced at Lafrah, she appeared to be...broken. Just going through the motions.

When Akksul and the five remaining Angara from his cell were inside, the Kett stood guard with the door open, shock stick at the ready. He looked at another Kett in the hall. "Throw it in here."

Soon, an Angara child, roughly twelve years old, was thrown into the cell with a cry.

Akksul noticed the child's lime green skin didn't look dirty and clothes weren't tattered like theirs was, he gritted his teeth. _New arrival. _

The child backed into a corner and cried.

Akksul walked to the child and got down on one knee. And heard the child's words.

"Mother...father...where are you? I'm so scared."

He placed a hand on his shoulder, words beyond him at the cruelty he had seen today, and will continue to endure for as long as he remained.

_I have to get out, and get as many as I can get out, and alert the Resistance to the location of this terrible place._

* * *

**A/N- ****Akksul may have been on the Dark Side in the game, but I wonder what drove him to such hatred...what kind of horrors did he see that broke him ****like that****? **

**And gave him backstory, since I love the Angara, and wanted to give Akksul backstory, and a family name. ****C****anon might give us one in future games, and I hope there is future games. **

**And I feel like we were robbed of DLC- some DLC ideas they could have done would be, including the Quarian Ark DLC- finding Jaal's father, one where Akksul joins the team and helps to take down a very dangerous Roekaar faction that had strayed so far from what Angara should be ****and**** what Roekaar aimed to be before they went off the deep end that he knew they had to be stopped, one for Evfra and his backstory, finding out more about the Benefactors...**


End file.
